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Obama lands in St. Lucie County for weekend of golf

TCPalm
Published 8:10 p.m. ET June 3, 2016

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President Barack Obama waves as he steps out of Air Force One Friday after arriving at the Treasure Coast International Airport and Business Park in St. Lucie County. Obama is visiting the Treasure Coast to play golf at Palm City's Floridian National Golf Club over the weekend. To see more photos, go to TCPalm.com. (XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)(Photo: Xavier Mascareñas)Buy Photo

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — As the door to Air Force One opened, President Barack Obama waved briefly to news media and quickly ducked into his black SUV Friday night, bound for a weekend of golf at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City.

Security was tighter this year than his arrival in the same airport in March last year. Friday, the public was kept far away from Treasure Coast International Airport and Business Park.

Cars were not allowed to park on adjacent streets, and all but credentialed media and officials were denied access to airport grounds. It’s unclear if the public will be granted better access when he departs for Washington, D.C., Sunday afternoon.

Before arriving in the county, Obama attended a fundraiser at a Miami mansion for U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who is running for Marco Rubio’s open Senate seat. There, he was greeted by Murphy, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giminez. The $10.7 million, 10-bedroom 6,600 square-foot mansion is listed as belonging to Steven Green, former Samsonite CEO and U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, according to White House pool reports.

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson was supposed to greet Obama Friday, but her invitation was moved to Sunday where she and St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Kim Johnson are expected to bid farewell to Obama.

Hudson met him at the airport last year, but had very little time to talk with him

“I’m very pleased that they’re coming to this airport. I think that means they were very pleased,” Hudson said. “We have a gem in that international airport.”

The airport’s runway can’t handle the weight of a Boeing 747 typically used as Air Force One so Obama arrived on a smaller C-32 (a modified 757) usually used to transport Vice President Joe Biden. When the president is in it, it is Air Force One.

As to why the president chose this airport to land, county spokesman Erick Gill said it’s largely because it is away from residential areas and they wanted to avoid jamming up larger airports, such as Palm Beach International Airport.

“From a security standpoint, it makes a lot of sense,” Gill said. “It doesn’t get any more official than the president.”

Obama arrived at 9:10 p.m. at the airport, and his motorcade arrived in Palm City at the Floridian at about 9:54 p.m.

Along the way on Becker Road near Seaforth Street, Obama supporter Latasha Carey, 40, watched the motorcade with five family members.

The president, she said, should stop and explore the community. Local issues she’d like to direct his attention to are the need for jobs and the pollution of the Indian River Lagoon.

“Especially for the babies and the kids. This is their future home,” Carey said.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/special-reports/obama/2016/06/03/obama-lands-in-st-lucie-county-for-weekend-of-golf/89403322/